Is it “Green” Enough?

Brooding over how nothing would be green enough and hence muttering about the timing of the road trip, we drove away from the snarling traffic and into the storm, quite literally. The dark grey clouds added a layer of gloomy which nearly reflected my mood. All we would see is brown, and haven’t we seen enough of that already? After all, since it had barely rained in the city, it was safe to assume that the countryside would reflect the same.

The beginning of the road trip

Though the sight of the dark grey clouds cheered me, it also made me grumble: for what good would it do for me if it rained now? One downpour doesn’t greenery make. And wasn’t Maharashtra renowned for the greenery? Thinking as such, we stopped for bhutta and tea, at one of the many vantage points between Lonavla and Aamby Valley. As we took the first bite of the sweet and spicy corn, the clouds burst, and oh, what a marvelous downpour.

Standing with our cups of tea under a makeshift plastic shelter, we could see the rain pouring over the valley. As it battered against our temporary defense, we watched in amazement as the mists began to rise. It was almost like magic; one moment we could see the entire valley spread out, and in the next, all we could see were the mists. They grew and spread, snaky tendrils spreading onto the road.

The swirling mists

As we stood and watched, my initial moodiness was wiped away. I am extremely happy to say, I was mistaken about both, the countryside and the weather. For as the mists swirled and bloomed around us, I could make out the hints of greenery everywhere.

Of course it wasn’t as widespread as it would be a month from now, and neither were there the silver gleams of waterfalls, but the patches of brown were reducing and baby waterfalls were beginning to take shape. And for that moment, it was enough.